As they walked through the forest, their hooves burning from the bottoms, horribly, and the stench of sweat from the heat clinging to their coats. With their hearts heavy, their attention shifting at the sight of a glimmer of light in the distance. Unsure of what it was, they cautiously moved closer until they were able to make out a single spark. It was a firefly, its wings flashing like stars in the darkness. ''Oh, how beautiful.'' Rarity whispered, her voice catching in her throat as her crystal blue eyes never turned away from the firefly. The group watched in silence as the little bug continued to shine in the midst of the darkness that surrounded them. And then, as if my magic, more and more fireflies joined the first one, until they were surrounded by a sea of twinkling lights. ''Is this safe, Cervus?'' Starlight asked the stallion deer, hybrid with conconered eyes. ''It's like they're trying to lead us somewhere.'' Rainbow Dash said, her voice filled with wonder. ''Well, I've never had a problem with fireflies before.'' Cervus answered, shrugging his shoulders.
''I-'' The group suddenly began to follow the fireflies, keeping their eyes on tiny sparks that seemed to dance ahead of them. As they walked, they felt the air grow warmer, softer, and sweeter, as if the land itself was leading them to their destination. Finally, after what felt like hours, they arrived at another clearing. In the center of the glade, their eyes, full of sleeplessness, they couldn't believe what it was they were seeing. Twilight. It was Twilight. Her coat was shining as if she was being rained on by the light of the moon. And she had her wings and horn. She looked so mystic. She seemed to be sitting on a tree slumb of a dead tree, her eyes closed, face serene. ''Twilight? Twilight!'' Starlight cried out in joy, running towards her long lost friend, followed closely behind by the others. However when the Twilight look alike opened her eyes, they weren't met with the usual purple shade their Twilight possessed. These ones were emerald green. The group skidded to a stop, their job overridden with confusion and fear. The emerald - eyed Twilight stood up from her spot on the tree stump and smiled warmly at them.
''Greethings, friends. My name is Eira. I apologize for the misdirection, but I needed to find a way to lure you here to speak to me. And I knew if i looked untrustworthy you might not have wanted to speak to me. Again, I aplogize for the misdirection.''
''You'd better have a good reason for tricking us. Especially with the form of someone we love.'' AppleJack growled through clenched teeth. ''Otherwise, I just might buck a bitch.'' Eria held up her hooves in defense. ''I understand your anger and frustration! But please hear me out. I come before you now with urgent news that concerns everypony in the kingdom. Twilight Sparkle has given me permission to use her form to speak to you.'' Rainbow Dash and Rarity exchanged a glance before turning back to Eria. ''What kind of urgent knews could possibly be so important that it would warrant deceiving us with the form of our recently departed friend?'' Rarity spoke up pointedly. Eria took a deep breath before beginning her explanation. ''There is a darkness growing, it resides in this forest! But if we don't stop it soon, it'll grow strong enough to override the entire kingdom, then the entire of Equestria! Twilight Sparkle and I have been working together to try to uncover the source of this darkness, but we haven't been so lucky. Whatever haunts this forest, has it out for alicorns. We believe that is why it killed her.'' Rainbow Dash let out a heavy scoff as her deep crimson eyes rolled in annoyance, as the deep bags under them, shone. ''You expect us to believe you just like that? How do we know you're not the one behind this ''darkness'?'' Eira shook her head. ''I understand your skepticism. But I assure you. I am not the source of this darkness. I come from a realm beyond your world, one that has been decimated by the evil. One where Twilight Sparkle currently resides. You see, she cannot pass so long as the darkness still lingers. I have been chosen by her to seek out the help of her friends in the hopes of putting an end to it. And I believe that you, the Elements of Harmony, are the key to stopping it.'' The group looked at each other, uncertain of what to believe. But there was something about Eira's sincerity that made them want to trust her.
Fluttershy, who had been quite until now, spoke up softly. ''I believe her. I can feel it in my heart. I can sense Twilight.'' The others turned to look at her, surprised by her sudden conviction. But there was no denying the truth in her words. Fluttershy never lied. ''Before we do anything, I need to know something.'' Breaking the silence, Pinkie Pie spoke up next. ''Before we proceed, there's something I need to ask.'' Eira nodded, giving her the go-ahead to inquire about anything. ''How is Twilight holding up?'' Eira took a deep, heavy breath, her light green eyes closing briefly as she absorbed the unexpected question. A hint of surprise flashing across her face before she managed to grasp her words to respond.
''She misses all of you. But she's staying strong. She believes in you to accomplish what needs to be done.'' AppleJack was the next to step forward, her eyes dark and intense. ''Alright, we're in. But I ain't gonna lie, Eira, I still don't trust you entirely. But if Twilight sent you, then we'll do whatever it takes to stop this darkness.'' The others nodded in agreement, their determination flickering in their eyes. ''We start by seeking out the strolls of the lost princess. That was what the spirit told me. She said we need to venture to the edge of the forest, they could be found buried in the trees.'' Starlight said. ''Well we better get going then.'' Rarity said, her voice filled with fierce determination. ''We have a kingdom to save.'' And with that, they set off into the shadows of the forest, ready to face whatever darkness lay ahead of them.
The Twilight lookalike, Eira walked closely beside the gain, her emerald eyes scanning the area around them for any signs of danger. As they group moved swiftly, silently, through the trees, pushing themselves past the wild grass, each of them seemingly lose in their own thoughts and worries, AppleJack seemed to be the first one to notice how eerie and quite it had gotten. It didn't seem to be enough to ward off her worries with the occasional chirping from the wilds birds. ''I don't like this silence, girls.'' she said softly, eyes scanning the surroundings as they walked on by. ''I agree with AppleJack, it does feel a bit too quiet for my liking.'' Eria, who was still walking ahead of them, nodded in agreement. Her eyes seemed to widen a little, as if she was scanning the area for anything she may have missed, checking for any potential threats harder than she had previously. With the silence causing them anxiety, the forest was unusually more alive then this, so what gives? Fluttershy, who had been walking closely beside Rarity for some time, began to shiver. ''I really don't like this at all,'' she whimpered, voicing her concerns. Rarity who seemed to notice the small shivers, began patting her back softly, try as she might to soothe the terrified pegaus.
''Just stay close to me, darling. It'll be okay.''
Pinkie Pie on the other hoof, suddenly seemed to hault, her knees eyes spotting something in the trees. Suddenly she let out a loud shout as she pointed, hopeful that the others noticed what she was pointing at. ''Guys, look over there!'' The others were quick to follow her gaze, letting out a gasp as they all stared into the thing. There, floating in the middle of the clearing, was a strange, bright, glowing object. How it pulsed with such a vibrant purple light, no pony seemed to be able to turn their attention away from it. Pinkie, who'd been standing so close to it, was the first to reach out towards it. ''Pinkie?'' whispered Applejack. ''I don't think you should touch it.'' Pinkie Pie, however though she was well aware her friend was trying to talk to her, paid no attention to her friend's warning, continuing to reach out with a heavy hoof towards the glowing object. Just as she was about to touch it, the object suddenly moved, causing Pinkie to jump back with a start. The object then began to spin, faster, faster, as it began sending out a bright white light that made it difficult for any pony to see. Then, as quickly as it had started, the spinning seemed to stop, as the object vanished into thin air, leaving behind a small, silver, box, floating where it had once stood. Starlight, who had been studying the object, quickly approached the box, inspecting it as close as she could. ''The box seems to have some type of magical protection spell on it.'' she said. ''but I think I can break through it.'' she said just as her magic began swirling around her horn, as she channeled her magic into the box, sending as much power as she could handle straight into the box's surface. As she did this, the box suddenly began to shake, rattling, where it stood, as seconds passed. Starlight stared at the contents, mouth agape, where a small shimmering crystal stared back at her.
Rainbow Dash, who had been quite up to this point, reached out to grab the crystal from Starlight, but before she could get her hooves securely around it, the crystal once again began to glow, growing brighter and brighter, until everyone in that clearing was blinded. As the light slowly dimmed, the pony's surroundings seemed to have underwent a dramatic transformation. Wiping the fog from their eyes, each of them found themselves standing in the heart of an ancient forest. Nothing like the EverFree Forest. Towering trees with leafs bathed in the brightest shades of color either of them had ever seen, capable of surpassing the grandest structures they had in Equestria. Rainbow Dash's eyes darted frantically, desperately searching for any semblance of familiarity she'd once know, while Starlight felt a growing unease beginning to gnaw at her core. It was becoming increasingly clear that they were no longer in Equestria.
''Where on earth are we?'' Rainbow Dash asked, voice tinged with a mix of curiosity, and a mix of apprehension. Starlight's gaze swept across the mysterious forest, her unease intensifying as she whispered. ''I fear we've ventured to a place beyond the borders of Equestria.''
''And what makes you so sure?'' AppleJack asked, clearly skeptical. Starlight gazed around, feeling the wave of unease starting to bubble over inside her as she retracted her first statement. ''I don't know, exactly. But I have a feeling we're not in Equestria anymore. Something about this place just feels different, somehow.''
''For one, I've never seen the EverFree Forest so life like before. And not in a scary kind of way, like a nice peaceful bit of nature.''
''Should we explore?'' Asked Rainbow Dash.
''oooo, I don't think we should!'' squeaked Fluttershy. ''We have no idea what's out there.''
''Well, we can't just sit here and wait.'' Rainbow Dash replied. ''We should at least check it out.''
''Rainbow Dash is right. We should at least take a look around, before we jump to conclusions.'' Starlight agreed as she lead the group away from the clearing, in which the crystal had been. As they began to move forward, they spotted a path, one that appeared to be leading them deeper into the woods, rather than out. As they trekked on, they began to notice strange symbols etched into the bark along the trees. They looked ancient, and very unfamiliar, but Starlight seemed to recognize them. In that moment she was thankful she'd done so much studying on ancient symbols before leaving the castle that morning.''These symbols...they're from the lost tome of magical symbols.'' she explained to the others, as each of their eyes scanned the imagery of symbols. ''I never thought I'd get to see them in person.'' she said, a tiny bit of excitement showing as Rainbow Dash seemed to roll her deep crimson eyes. Eventually they found themselves they found themselves coming to another clearing, where in the middle stood a massive crystal, seemingly though this one was bigger than the one they'd seen before. This one was pulsating with an otherworldly energy that made the hairs on the ponies napes stand on end. However before any pony who react to it, they were surprised by a shadowy figure, who appeared in front of them, utterly blocking their path.
''Who's there?'' Eria called out, try as she might to sound brave.
The shadowy figure seemed to stop for a moment, then as it moved into the light, they saw that it was a zebra. One with a coat the color of midnight, accompanied by eyes that sparkled like the stars. Around her body, appeared a long, flowing cloak, which was blowing gently in the small breeze. ''Greetings, travelers.'' she said, her voice ringing out like a bell. ''My name is Zephyr, the keeper of the forest and the protector of the crystal Nexus.''
''The Crystal Nexus?'' Rainbow Dash repeated, confused. ''What the hay is that?'' The mysterious zebra just nodded as she began to speak again. ''Yes, the crystal Nexus. The crystal you saw in the forest not long ago. It is the source of all magic in this land. It is also capable of bringing the past to whoever pony has the strongest desire. It must have sensed your desire.'' At this, Starlight's eyes widened. She had heard stories about the crystal Nexus and its power to bring the truth to light. ''But why did it bring us here?'' she asked, curiosity piqued. Zephyr game a small smile. ''It seems the crystal sensed that you were in need of some help.'' she said. ''It sensed that you were lost, and that you five are experiencing painful grief.
''Our Grief? How did it sense that?'' Fluttershy asked, voice soft.
Zephyr let out a small sigh at this as she opened her mouth to continue. ''As I said before, the crystal Nexus has strong abilities. It has the power to sense strong emotions, both good, and bad, from realms all over time and space. It sensed your sorrow, and brought you here to offer up its guidance to you.'' The group looked at one another, each of them wearing expressions of bewilderment. Of all the things they had been expecting while venturing through this journey, this was not one of them. ''So, what happens now?'' Applejack asked, as she took a small step gestured towards the crystal, putting out a hoof as if she was telling her to go towards it. ''You may talk to it. It has the power to show you what you seek.'' They each shifted another glance at one another, before slowly making their way towards the massive crystal. Drawing closer, the pulsating energy seemed to grow stronger, and with it, the crystal could be seen swirling imagery that seemed to be trying to call out to them. And just as Starlight reached out with a shaking hoof to touch the crystal, she was quickly engulfed in a big, bright light.